Matches being investigated are the 2-1 win by Ethiopia in Botswana, the 2-0 win by Togo at home to Cameroon during June and the 4-3 home victory of Equatorial Guinea over the Cape Verde Islands last March.

Equatorial Guinea appealed against an unpublished Fifa disciplinary committee decision relating to the Malabo match and the follow-up proceedings have not been finalised.

Should Group A winners Ethiopia lose the three points, they would no longer be certain of qualifying for the play-offs with South Africa and Botswana back in contention.

Cameroon, who trail Libya by two points in Group I, could take a one-point lead into a September match with the North Africans if Togo broke World Cup regulations.

A verdict against Equatorial Guinea would put the Group B qualification of Tunisia on hold as the five-point gap between them and second-place Cape Verde would shrink to two points.

The Fifa statement on Sunday did not name the Ethiopian, Togolese or Equatoguinean footballers being investigated nor give a date when the findings will be released. – AFP